Flour bleacher and purifier.



PATENTED FEB. 6, 1906.

R. I. AGNER. FLOUR BLEACHER AND PURIFIER.

APPLIOATION FILED HAJLZS, 19Q5.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 812,110. PATENTED FEB. 1906.

R.I.AGNER. I FLOUR BLEAOHER AND PURIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-25, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

" IHZWI Q I Q Q Q Soweufoz Witwum %/l/u/y ROBERT I. AG-NER, OF SALEM, VIRGINIA.

FLOUR BLEACHER AND PURIFIER Specification of Letters Patent. Application flled March 25, 1905. Serial No. 252.040.

Patented Feb. -6, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT IRvIN AGNER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Salem, county of Roanoke, State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flour Bleachers and Purifiers, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whic Figure 1 represents a side view, partly in Vertical section, of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2' of Fig. 1. Fi 3 is an end elevation, and Figs. 4 and 5 are etail views, of the heater.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple apparatus for efficiently bleaching and purifying flour by first subjecting it to a sufiiciently high degree of heat in a steamjacketed chamber to drive out sufficient moisture to make it flaky and also destroy larvae and bacteria and then to the simultaneous action of bolting-reels and a properlyregulated air suction or current to. remove not only the moisture and odors liberated by the heat, but also the impurities which by the action of the heat have been rendered lighter than the flour, as more fully hereinafter set forth. a

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafter a pear, the invention consists of the parts anfcombination of arts hereinafter fully described, and particu arly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which the same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings by letters, a designates the spout throu h which the flour is fed to the apparatus. T 's spout emptiesinto the openupturned outer end I) of the heater b, which consists of a jacketed flat metal case havin its bottom transversely corrugated at T e steam-jacket extends all around the casing and is supplied with steam by a pipe d, having a flexible section (1 inserted in it at a suitable point. The heater inclines downward and inward and issupported at its inner end by links a and at its outer end by springsupports a. It is vibrated by means of a pitman 0 and an eccentric 0 mounted on a shaft c at the end of the frame, this shaft 0 bein driven by suitable shafting and belting. drain-pipe d is attached to the inner lower end of the steam-jacket of the heater.

The inner open end of the heater terminates over a centrally-arranged chute e, which passes down through the top of the closed casin and terminates in a horizontal openende tube e, whose ends are normally closed by spring-actuated disk valves e A shaft 9 extends through the two valves and the tube e and has mounted on it a pair of reverselyturned conveyer-screws f, which serve to divide the incomin stream of flour equall and feed it in opposite directions out past t e spring-valves, these valves openin sufficient to permit the flour to pass out o the tube in opposite directions.

Mounted on a shaft gis a pair of boltingreels h of substantially the same size and each ta ering from its inner end outward. The ree s are closed at their ends by solid walls, and the inner ends turn on the respective ends of the stationary tube e.

The respective branches 'i of the exhaust conduit or pipe 1' pass down through the top of the casing and are turned horizontallyin- Ward to enter the end walls of the respective reels, and in each branch is a regulatingvalve 1. The exhaust-fan is mounted on a suitable shaft at the juncture of the branches '5 with the main exhaust-tube j. The fanshaft, the shaft 0, and the shaft 9 are driven by suitable belting. At or near the center of the casing at a suitable point below the reels air-inlet openings m are provided.

At opposite sides of each reel is mounted a brush 0, which extends approximately the full length of the reel and serves not only to clear the meshes of the boltin -cloth, but also to direct the air-current u t oug'h the under sides of the reel. Eac of these brushes is mounted for convenience of examination andrepair upon a removable panel set in the side of the casing.

It will be observed that by means of the fan and the valves Z a nicely-regulated current of air ma be drawn up through the reels, and by coating the inlet openings midway the ends of t e casing the currents are caused to travel substantially the full length of the reel. in opposite directions. The reels bein larger at t eir inner ends, the stock will ten to accumulate at these ends and will spread out to a thin layer toward the outer smaller ends of the reels, thereb subjecting all the flour to the action of t e aircurrents and insuring the removal of the lighter impurities.

The vibration of the heater b feeds the flour to the spout e, and this feeding action is augmented by the corrugations in the bottom of the heater, these corrugations bein step-like in form, with the strai ht faces the steps facing the exhaust end 0 the heater. As the flour passes down through the heater it will be spread in a thin sheet over the corrugated bottom and will'thereby be subjected to a uniform heat.

By empigjying steam burnin' of the flour is avoidedw epassing throught e heater, and it will be observed that if the copper-bottomed heater be kept at a suitable temperature while the flour is passingover it in a thin sheet moisture will be driven off and germs be destro ed. Thus reducing the flour to a dry or flaky state enables-the impurities, es-

ecially the dead and dried germs, which have been rendered li hter than the flour, to be readily bolted and t en drawn out by a gentle air current of insufficient strength to carry off an of the flour. The moisture remaining in t e flour, as well as offensive odors, are also drawn out, and, furthermore, this treatment will obviously tend to bring out the natural whitenessof the flour by the removal of those impurities which, if left in the flour, tend to darken it. I find that flour thus treated is not only rendered whiter and more flaky, but that it will keep sweet and pure indefinitely.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various mechanical embodiments of the invention are possible, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact arranges ment and construction shown.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of means for drying out and feedin the flour, and means for removing the li ter im urities, consistin of a casing close except or the provision o air-inlets at its opposite sides about midway its length, a shaft running longitudinally through the casing, and carrying a pair of bolting-reels having their inner ends closed and located near each other, said'reels each tapering toward its outer end, a chute adapted to receive the flour from the feeder and extending down be tween the inner ends of the reels, a horizontal open ended tube communicating with said chute and having its ends extending into the adjacent inner ends of the reels, s ringactuated valves for the ends of this tu e, reversely-curved screw-blades on the aforesaid shaft within said tube, exhaustipes extending out from the outer ends of the respective reels, and provided with valves and means' for creating a suction through these exhaustpipes for the purpose set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of means for feeding the flour and means for subjecting the flour to the action of a current of air to remove the lighter impurities this latter means consisting of a casing closed except for the provision of air-inlets at opposite sides below the reels hereinafter mentioned, a shaft running longitudinall through the casing and carrying a pair 0 bolting-lreels arran ed end to end on the shaft, a c ute adapte to receive the flour from the feeder and extending down between the inner ends of the reels, a horizontal 0 enended tube communicating with said '0 ute and having its ends extending into the adliacent inner ends of the reels, valves norma ly closing the ends of this tube, means on the. shaft within the tube .for oppositely feeding the flour past said valves simultaneously, exhaust-pipes extending out from the outer ends of the respective reels, and means for creating a draft up through the reels and the exhaust-pipes.

3. In an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of, a casing, a shaft extending longitudinally through the casing and ea in a pair of reels arranged end to end on t e s aft, means for rotating the shaft and its reels, means for conducting flour down through the top of the casing and feeding it into both inner ends of the reels simultaneously, exhaust-pi es connecting the respective tail ends of t e reels, means for creatin a regulated suction through these pipes, sai

casing bein closed all round except for the and a pair of brushes mounted u on opposite sides of the casing above the in et-openin s and engaging the opposite sides of the rec s, these brushes serving not only to clean the meshes of the reels but also as partitions to dirrlact the airdraft upward through the ree s.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing, a shaft extending longitudinally through the casing and carryin .a pair of reels arranged end to end on the s aft, means for rotating the shaft and its reels, means for conducting flour down through the top of the casin and feeding it in through the center of bot inner ends of the reels simultaneously, exhaust-pipes connecting to the respective tail ends of the reels, means for creating a regulated suction through these pipes, said casing being closed all round except for the PIOVlSlOIl of inletopenings below the reels.

In testimon whereof I hereunto aflix my signature, in t e presence of twowitnesses, this 14th day of March, 1905.

. R. I. AGNER.

Witnesses:

S. B. JOHNSTON, S. D. TALIAFERRO.

provision o inlet-openings below the reels, 

